About
Jennifer Boukari, Founder
Godiva Financial
The Financial Counselor
That Educates and Coaches
I'm no stranger to financial hardships. I've made some poor money choices, and I've developed many excellent economic disciplines over time. I've learned that it's more than just "income less expenses" - we have to examine the psychology behind our behaviors. When our income, expenses and money habits are in harmony, it sets the stage for financial stability and wealth building. This is what Godiva Financial is all about.
What Qualifies Me Exactly?
Good question – the short answer is life experience (arguably the best teacher). I have more than 10 years of tax preparation and accounting experience. I earned my Enrolled Agent credential, my MBA in International Business and my Bachelor's in Accounting. And I have a passion for numbers, people, and analyzing them collectively.
Here's the more comprehensive version:
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I worked three physical labor jobs to make ends meet, and ended up on academic probation as a result of being so exhausted from work and slacking in school. I then attended college full-time (and then some) to play catch up for lost time;
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I loaned money to friends that would never be repaid and co-signed loans for temporary people in my life;
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I've gone through a divorce, gained 80 pounds, lost 70 pounds;
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I purchase my first home at 26, lost a job, received less unemployment benefits per month than the mortgage payment;
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I had to get myself out of double digit thousands of dollars in credit card debt;
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I invested too many resources in other people rather than prioritizing myself;
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I made good money and mismanaged it; I made poor choices and STILL bounced back;
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and I FINALLY figured out there IS a recipe for success if applied consistently.
That’s only the physical history though - the more notable chronicles are the emotional traumas: experiencing feelings of hopelessness, thinking I was beyond help, accepting where I was as the norm and becoming stagnant, feeling anxious about the future because of lack of preparation, worrying and agonizing about bills and phone calls from debt collectors, fearing the rejection associated with taking risks, becoming complacent as a result of that, feeling anguished by the thought of letting down those that depended on me, and feeling defeated by life in general.
Can you relate to any of these situations or feelings? If so, I want you to know that there IS a way out! The recipe for success is a behavioral transformation. Sign up for one of the budgeting programs and experience the change YOU deserve!